BLUE LIGHTS
RACHAEL DAVIS
When series one of Blue Lights was released in 2023, it was immediately obvious it was not your typical police show. Set in Belfast, it follows three new recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, including youngsters Annie and Tommy and 40-something mum Grace, who has transferred from social services.
It took stock of the incredibly complex world of policing in Belfast, a city still living in the shadows of the Troubles.
The response was such that when series two began filming last year, the sights of camera crews and police uniforms throughout the city caused quite a fuss, with excited crowds gathering to see the cast at work.
Nathan Braniff, who plays Tommy Foster, said: “Everywhere we went, we definitely had a warm welcome, it was great.
“We got a lot of people coming up this time around throughout Belfast, because they’ve seen the cameras and they’ve seen the police uniforms and sort of put two and two together that it was Blue Lights.
“It was nice, this time, having people coming up and being so positive.”
As Blue Lights returns for its highly anticipated second series, having already been renewed for a further two, so does its cast of breakout stars and familiar faces.
Sherlock’s Sian Brooke, who plays probationer and former social worker Grace Ellis, is back with Katherine Devlin as Annie Conlon, a Catholic probationer, and Braniff as Foster, a fasttrack probationer.
Brooke said of the developments in series two: “Now we know who these characters are, we dig deeper into their lives and understand why they react in certain situations.
“The world that [writers] Declan [Lawn] and Adam [Patterson] have created has expanded even more and you begin to understand the complexities of the crimes the characters are encountering in their day-to-day jobs.
“We also see the ripple effect of what happened in the first series on all of the characters and how it impacts them as a unit.”
Each of the protagonists are facing new challenges, trying to strike a balance between their work and personal lives.
Brooke said of where we meet Grace in this series: “A year has passed, so she’s no longer a recruit.
“She’s much more experienced in the job, but her home life has turned upside down.
“We see her whole foundation has been rocked by not having [son] Cal at home with her anymore.
“She is a little at sea, and I like the fact that we portray empty nest syndrome...
“I don’t think it’s explored enough on television, but it’s a tangible thing that happens to parents, and they go through a grieving process of sorts.”
Devlin, who plays Annie, added: “This time round we find Annie sharing a flat with Grace. Theirs is quite a sisterly relationship,
Now we know who these characters are, we dig deeper into their lives
It’s a drama with really beautifully crafted characters at its heart
but equally, they’re aware of each other’s insecurities and flaws.
“Grace has been there for Annie in the past, and Annie definitely shows her vulnerabilities when she’s with Grace.
“They make a good team, and while the death threat is still present in Annie’s life we do see her unfold a bit more and be less constrained, she definitely has more freedom.”
Braniff said Tommy is still reeling from the events of series one but throughout the new season we see him developing as a copper. He added: “I mean, he’s defi